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ON THE INSIDE ?
WHO'S BEEN WHERE AND
FOR WHAT?
Staff correspondents of THE
PRESS keep the Inside page?
of this newspaper alive with
news about your friends and
neighbors Read the inside
pages from top to bottom and
you'll know Macon County.
74th Year ? No. 9
Franklin, N. C., Thursday, February 26, 1959
Price 10 Cents
Sixteen Pages
LOCALS in group -
o Federation Sale
Being Opposed
THE CARSON square dancers
continue to stay in the limelight.
They'll dance Saturday at 12:30
pjn. over WSPA-TV In Spartan
burg. S. C., and then at 6 p.m.
over WFBC-TV In Greenville.
Busy, busy!
FRANKLIN'S first dial-tele
phone was put in Monday. Who
got it? THE PRESS did. Of course,
the dial is taped up and can't
be used until the system converts
to dials this Spring.
MARCH WINDS arriving a
little early this week managed to
stir up dust and cause a lot of red
eyes.
NOW THAT the weather is co
operating, work is continuing on
Manson"Stiles' new service station
and they're filling along the river
on the Highlands road. The main
runaway of the airport, however,
is still closed because of the
weather. Local pilots are using
the auxiliary strip.
SURE WOULD be nice if
Franklin would decide it could
raise enough money for a full
time promotional director. There
are so many promising things be
ins left undone that a director
could handle.
SCHOOL CHILDREN'S smiles
are beginning to broaden. Which
means they're nearing the home
stretch of summer vacations.
SURE WOULD be nice if some
one had the real dope on the
union ruckus. There's more ver
sions going around than the pro
verbial dog has fleas.
FRANKLIN'S Bryan Hurst, a
member of the US. Army Band
in Washington, D. C., probably
is the first Maconian to make
Carnegie Hall in New York City
as a performer. As a part of the
20th annual American Music Festi
val, Bryan's outfit gave a con
cert February 19. Also, the band
members recently tumbled out of
bed at 4 a.m. to give a White
House concert in honor of the
president's birthday. Bryan plays
third chair bass.
MAN, OH MAN! That ol' teeth
chipper is still near the jail and
it gets deeper and deeper and
tempers are getting hotter and
hotter. Everyone is complaining
about it, but the fellows who sell
tires ? and they've replaced a few
broken by the teeth-chipper!
ALL THE STATE papers are
taking Franklin to task over the
union mess. It must require a
crystal ball to sit a couple of
hundred miles away and com
ment as heatedly and emphatical
ly as they are doing.
MRS. CANCY Nancy Brendle
Shuler Ramey, 84, and her bride
groom, 66-year-old Jimmy David
Caldwell, stopped over here on
their honeymoon for a visit with
Will Mason and H. T. Brendell.
They've returned to their home
in Waynesville. Mr. and Mrs.
Caldwell eloped January 26 to
Walhalla, S. C.
IT'S A GOOD thing a Ford
Thunderbird won the big race at
Daytona. If a Ford hadn't won.
Bob Moore's waking hours here
would have been almost intoler
able.
SIGNED UP yet for that $66.25
trip to Washington, D. C? and
New York City? If you haven't,
you'd better rush right up to
Mrs. SherriU's office In the Agri
cultural Building.
Contending that the Farmers
Federation "can survive", a group
of stockholders is attempting to
block the proposed sale of the
Federation to the Farmers Co
operative Exchange by collecting
proxy votes.
Today (Thursday) In Asheville,
Federation stockholders are sched
uled to meet and accept or reject
the sale proposal, which already
has been approved by the Fed
eration board of directors,
i Several Maconians are members
of the committee attempting to
stop the sale, including Bruce
W. Bryant, W M. Barnard. J. R.
Officers
Testify
On Case
The two law enforcement offi
cers figuring in the recent alleged
mistreatment of union organizer
in Franklin told their side of the
story in Washington, D. C., Mon
day.
Chief Deputy Newell Pender
grass and C. D. Baird, of the
Franklin force, were interviewed
by Kenneth O'Donnell, adminis
trative assistant of the Senate
rackets committee.
Meanwhile, the union organizer,
Robert Beame, who also appeared
for an interview the same day
with. Mr. O'Donnell, is quoted by
the Associated Press as being not
"too happy" with the reception
he received in Washington or the
interview.
Yesterday (Wednesday) Deputy
Pendergrass said he and Police
man Baird merely repeated what
they have said in newspapers
previously.
The union organizer has
charged he was beaten, kidnapped,
and escorted out of town.
'Both officers contend that, ex
cept for a small red mark under
his eye, Mr. Beame was unmarketf
when he was escorted to the state
line February 9 following an In
cident at a local motel. Deputy
Pendergrass, who gave the or
ganizer safe conduct to the line,
says the escort was requested.
Locally, an S.B.I, probe of the
incident is continuing, with agent
P. R. Kitchen, of Waynesville,
on the case. The investigation
was ordered by the governor.
Rep. Hall
Recovering
In Hospital
Rep. David M. Hall, of Sylva, is
recovering satisfactorily from a
kidney operation performed Mon
day night at the naval hospital
at Bethesda, Md.
The operation was described as
a drainage of the kidney to re
move an obstruction. A physician's
statement said "patient tolerated
operation well and his immediate
post-operative condition is good."
The 12th District congressman
entered the hospital on the 16th
for observation of a "urinary
tract involvement" and the opera
tion was tentatively set for Tues
day, the 23rd. There was no ex
planation as to why the operation
was performed a day earlier, other
than the disclosure that plans
were changed after consultation.
Ao saijs "MRMACONIAN
Hi-ya Neighbors :
Th is way they're buildin* the youth center in
Franklin is kinda like an old timey house raisin'.
Everyone pitchin' in to help and the like.
Saw a little shaver on the street the other day
who said he was giving up his ice cream cones so's
he could buy a concrete block for the center. Ice
cream is ,an awful important thing to a little feller,
but I recon he figures that youth center is going
to bi; part of his growin* up.
They tell me that no donation will be too small,
so I figure as how just about everyone can do their
part, don't you?
And I thank you.
Franklin, B. W. Justice, R. H. Ben
nett," J. S. Gray, and Carl D. Mor
gan.
It is this committee's contention
(as quoted from an advertise
ment appearing in Monday's Ashe
vllle CITIZEN-TIMES) that
"There is nothing wrong with our
Farmers Federation except mis
management or the lack of man
agement that has allowed us to
fall Into a poor position with re
lation to cash available, to bills
payable. We have the resources
to overcome this. Don't let your
own Farmers Federation vanish.
It can survive. The future iooks
good under a reorganization plan
for the Fanners Federation. We
are not poverty stricken now. We
have good farm to market roads,
well-kept farms with high quality
cattle, and the latest in farm
machinery. We have been civilized
and progressive for more than
one hundred years here in West
ern North Carolina. Our children
are well clothed and we are loved
and respected *y our fellow man.
Let's keep It that way and re
organize our own Farmers Federa
tion ..."
V. F. W. COMMANDER Larry Welch (right) is shown pre
senting the "most valuable player" award to Panther tackle Don
Ledford. The presentation was made at the football banquet.
Staff IMioto
IS HIGHLANDS MAN ?
'Dean Of Weather Men
Is Honored By Bureau
Easter Rite
Location Set
In Franklin
Plans are already being made
for an Easter I March 29) sun
rise service under the sponsor
ship of the Franklin Ministerial
Association.
Last year's service atop Wayah
Bald was cancelled because of
excessive rain and poor road con
ditions.
? * ?
This year, however, the minister
ial association has requested the
use of the Franklin High football
stadium for the service and the
high school cafeteria for an Easter
morning breakfast immediately
following the service.
The Rev. Donn K. Langfitt, as
sociation president, said the
change in location of the dawn
rite was brought on by several re
quests for a location closer to
town and one where the weather
will not be a factor.
A speaker for the service stilt
has not been selected, Mr. Lang
fitt said.
Until last year's cancellation,
the services had been held for
several years at "High Haven",
the camp of Mr. and Mrs. Gilmer
A. Jones.
Macon County's Barry C.
Hawkins, with more than 65
years' service, is the undi-s
puted "dean" of the coopera
tive weather observer corps
of the U. S. Weather Bureau.
A man of mystery, who
prefers to remain just that,
Mr. Hawkins lives alone in
rugged Horse Cove, near
Highlands. He emerges from
Rock House (his home) at in
tervals to buy supplies. The
rest of the time he mans his
weather station and minds
his own business.
Mr. Hawkins is one of 21
cooperative weather observers
who have taken weather ob
servations daily for more
than 50 years and is one of
three to have passed the 60
year service mark.
A special citation edition of
the (J. S. Weather Bureau's
daily weather map (published
today, the 26th) is issued in
honor of these 21 veterans of
the nation-wide corps of 7,
000 observers who take and
record weather observations
every day of the year ? In
cluding Sundays aind holidays
? without any compensation.
On the back of the daily
weather map of this date are
printed brief service high
lights of these remarkable
senior citizens.
About Mr. Hawkins It says
. . He is the dean of the
cooperative observer corps, his
period of service being almost
as long as the history of the
Weather Bureau as a civilian
agency. Mr. Hawkins was born
in Ohio in 1874, came to
North Carolina in 1883, and
has resided there ever since.
His first weather observation
?was taken on November 1,
1891 and throughout his peri
od of service his records have
maintained an exceptionally
high standard of excellence."
Several years ago, a PRESS
reporter-photographer pene
trated deep into "Dean"
Hawkins' territory in Horse
Cove in search of a story.
He found the old gentle
main, after many hours of
wandering, because only a few
are sure where he lives, and
discovered, much to his cha
grin, that Mr. Hawkins
didn't hanker to publicity oi
any kind.
Politely, but firmly the re
porter-photographer was ask
ed to leave the premises and
warned never to darken the
area again.
Since then, ever so often,
THE PRESS receives ,a letter
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 4
TALKING ABOUT FOOTBALL (naturally) following Saturifay night's football banquet were
(L to R) John M. Archer, Jr., Washington Redskins star Fddie Sutton, and C. K. (Red) Henry,
who was master of ceremonies. Mr. Arrher introduced Mr. Sutton, i Staff Plv)ta>
Burley Quotas
Okayed Again
?
With all precincts reporting ex
cept Nantahala. Tuesday's burley
tobacco referendum pas.4ed here
without a speck of opposition.
There was not a single vote
against continuing quotas for the
next three burley crops. Exclud
ing Nantahala, 109 votes were
cast.
Sloan Named
To Rotary
Area Job
W W. <Bill> Sloan, of Franklin
has been elected chairman of th?'
credentials committee of Rotary
District 767.
Elections featured a Rotary
convention in Ashevllle last
Thursday and Friday.
Attending the convention from
here were Mr. Sloan. Mr. and
Mrs. Robert C. Carpenter, Mr. and
Mrs. Norman Blaine, and the
Rev. L. B. Hayes.
MAN SHOOTS SELF
Laddie Crawford. Cartoogechaye
farmer, died about 11:45 a.m.
yesterday (Wednesday) from
a self-inflicted .22 calibre gun
shot wound in the head. No in
quest was held. Funeral arrange
ments were incomplete yesterday
afternoon, pending the arrival of
members of Mr. Crawford's fam
ily from outside Macon.
SUTTON IS SPEAKER -
Player Award
Won By Ledford
Washington Redskins star Eddie
Sutton had some wise words to
offer about h ports in general and
life in particular as guest speaker
Saturday night at the annual
Ro ta ry -sponsoi ed f ootba 11 ba nque ?
Al.vo featured at the 'banquet
honoring the Franklin High Pan
the>V ai d cheerleaders was the
presentation of a "most valuable
player" award to Don Ledford by
the local Veterans of Foreign
Wars post.
173 Attend
An estimated 175 Rotarians.
their Rotary Annes. and others
turned out for the event in the
cafeteria at' Franklin High.
Introduced by Rotarian John
M. Archer. Jr.. Mr. Sutton placed
special emphasis on sportsman
ship in his remarks and- he as
sured the young men and women
Window Dedicated
To Dr. Morgan
Dr. A. Rufus Morgan was an
honor guest at a dedication service
of a window in St. John's Epis
copal Church in Columbia, S. C.
Sunday.
The wondow was dedicated in
honor of Dr. Morgan and two
others, all of whom are former
rectors of the church.
there that they could achieve
anything in life ii they really
wanted to work for it.
Greatest Thrill
A star at the University of
North Carolina before signing a
contract two years a?o with the
professional Redskins' the Jackson
County native said his greatest
thrill in football came in a col
l"ge game against Wake Forest.
On that particular day he could
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 4
Legionairres Get
35-Year Member
Cards At Meeting
Three Legionairres received 35
year membership cards at the
February 18 meeting of the local
American Legion Post.
They are Van Frazier. Adolph
Zoellner. and Thomas M. Moss. -
Frank Shope and C. K. (Ike>
Olson got 10-year cards and Bill
Horsley got one for five year'3
service.
The presentations were made
by the post adjutant. E. G. Craw
ford.
A covered dish supper preceded
the meeting at Slasle Memorial
Building.
FRANKLIN HIGH IS PROUD OF ITS RECORD -
Not A Scratched Fender In Eight Y ears' Driving
Eight years of driver training
without so much as a scratched
fender.
They're proud of that accom
plishment at Franklin High
School and are hoping to make
it another eight or more.
Five Classes
Five driver education classes.
embracing 90 students, are being
taught this year at Franklin High
by a full-time teacher. Prank L.
Ramsey. This is the first year a
full-time instructor has been avail
able. This year. Franklin's car
is registering about 500 miles a
week, or 100 miles daliy.
Highlands School also has a
driver education program operat
infc, but not on the scale of the
larger Franklin High. David O.
Pruett teaches antl instructs driv
ing one day a week. Nantahala
School had a program last year,
but It is not In full operation
now. Classroom work Is being
given at Nantahala, but actual
driving experience is not planned
until this summer.
To be eligible for driver training,
a student must be 15 Vx years old.
or approaching the age for ob
taining a state driver's license.
Eaeh student gets 40 hours of
classroom work and six hours of
behtnd-the-wheel Instruction under
the supervision of the Instructor.
In addition to driving tech
niques, Mr. Ramsey explained
this week" that strong emphasis
is placed on driving attitudes,
since this particular facet is prob
ably the most important in safe
and sane driving.
Also stressed is the proper at
titude toward traffic laws and law
enforcement officers, he said.
How effective is. this program?
SEE NO 1. PAGE 4
FRANK L. RAMSEY, instructor, explains to Shirely Cabe how
to mameuyer the car into a position to parallel park.
* (Staff Photo)
HI
GIVING CLASSROOM instruction (above) in safe and sane driving is Frank L. Ramsey,
Franklin High's full-time teacher. He has five regular classes this year with a total enrollment
of 90. Each student receives 40 hours of classro.im instruction and six hours of driving.
MRS. GRIBRI.K DIES
Mis W A. Gribble. the former
Miss Sarah Holland, died yester
day 'Wednesday) in a hospital
in Deland, Fla.. following an
operation on her hip. Mrs. Crib
ble. 90. a Macon native, had been
living for the past 10 or 12 years
with a daughter in Lake Helen.
Fla. Funeral services will be held
here Friday at 2 p.m. at the Union
Methodist Church. ,
The Week's tern per eturee and rainfall below
are recorded in Franklin by Maneon St ilea
U. S. weather ohaerver; In Highlands by
T^dor N. Hall and W. C. Newton. TV A
ohaerver.; and at the Coweta ttydrolo?i?
laboratory. Readings are for the 24-hour
period ending at g a.m. of the day listed.
The Weather
FRANKLIN
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wed,. 18th
High Low Rain
55 38 .00
37 23 .00
40 21 .00
54. 6 .00
51 14 .00
63 37 .22
60 34 .03
Wednesday
24 .00
COWETA
Wed.. 18th
Thursday
68 42 .40
55 22 .00
38 18 .00
37 6 .00
52 15 .00
51 32 34
62 26 .00
57 25 .00
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
IlIGIILANns
Wed., 18th
48 42
36 18
36 17
48 8
52 23
57 37
54 30
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
SO
* no record.
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